Published by Kodansha and available February 25, 2025, Hauntress is a major work in the horror genre for manga. It was published in 1993, before stalking was widely known in Japan. The story follows college student Hiroshi, who's being followed by a creepy woman. I was interested because it's on several "Scariest Manga Ever" lists and I do love a good scare. Unfortunately it's hard to make a drawing scary and this isn't scary to me. The stalking starts too early with no buildup, which ruins the tension. I did like that at the end the stalker becomes another urban legend (Japan is famous for its urban legends). The art reminds me of Junji Ito, which I know for other readers will be a plus but the one Ito book I've read didn't impress me much. This just wasn't scary for me.

3 stars for the art. It was genuinely gorgeous. The story was kind of boring, not much substance beyond a scary lady stalking the main character

Thanks netgalley and publisher for giving me this manga.

I honestly thought it was meh tbh, there was hardly any story but all it’s about is a scary woman terrorising the MC. It just felt rushed and underwhelming like 11 chaps do nothing to show the full meaning of horror….

A decent, chilling retelling of a Japanese urban legend. Similar to It Follows, Hiroshi is stalked by a tall, unsettling woman. All it took was opening the door and acknowledging her. Now, she ruthlessly follows him and threatens to harm anyone who gets close to him. It's got great tension and chilling scenes here, but the story gets a bit repetitive and the ending is not the most satisfying. Still, if you're a fan of Junji Ito, I recommend you give this Japanese horror classic a read.

A valuable English-language printing of a 1990s urban legend horror manga, this one delivers some legitimate chills. There’s a nice tension running through ‘Hauntress’ over just what direction the plot will spiral out in: will events take a supernatural turn, burrow into psychological horror terrain, or remain grounded in realism? Should appeal to fans of ‘Tomie’ or ‘Blood on the Tracks.’

I was very excited about the book Hauntress by Minetaro Mochizuki because I love a good scary story. The book was super unsettling, however I found the ending was lacking.

The book starts out with just your average Hiroshi, leading an average college student life before he opens the door in the middle of the night one night when he hears someone in the hallway. From that point his life takes this very unsettling turn. His friend tries to help him unravel what is happening to him but they never seem to get to the bottom of the issue.

I can definitely understand why this is considered a classic Japanese horror manga! Definitely recommended for people who are interested in horror manga. It brought to mind the legend of the slit-mouthed woman.

The artwork in this book is amazing! The story was also really good and also terrifying. This is the first book I have read from this author, but it won’t be my last!

This was actually insane. The story was creepy as ever on its own. But the actual illustrations of the “stalker” is probably gonna find em in my dreams tonight 😭. I wish this was a series because I would I’ve read it all just to see how she torments whoever she can get her hands on. And to believe it all happened because he heard knocking on his neighbour’s door late one night.

This horror manga follows Hiroshi, a college student who opens his apartment door to the wrong person. The art style and plot was plenty creepy. I definitely was too unsettled to sleep after reading this. A good foray into the horror manga genre.

Hiroshi is a college student living alone. One day, he hears his neighbour’s doorbell and goes to check who is there. He sees a mysterious woman standing in front of his neighbour’s door. From that day on, the woman begins to stalk him, following his every move.

The plot and illustrations create a horror and eerie atmosphere. The artwork is good, and the close-up details are creepy.

The manga is fast-paced and can be read in a sitting, but the ending felt unclear, there was no proper conclusion to what happened to Hiroshi.

Overall, I liked reading this manga.

I went into this completely blind and was so glad I did. This was thrilling, scary and the creep factor was great. I love to read more from this author.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for providing the opportunity to read and review e-ARC.

Compelling, unsettling, and creepy. The artwork is beautiful and heightens the overall feel of the book.

This is the best manga I’ve read so far this year! I loved the horror of it. The fear of a woman whom seemed to turn up around every corner. The slow peeling away of the mystery of who she really was and what she was doing, but still having that fear of what she really wanted.

This is horror done right. Immersing you in the situation and over time revealing what there is to truly fear. It was beautifully illustrated and I loved my time reading it.

If you love horror in the vein of Junji Ito’s work you will love Hauntress.

Giving this one 2.5 ⭐️ rounded up!

College student Hiroshi hears a woman continuously ringing his neighbors doorbell. Curiosity gets the best of him, and he decides to open his door and take a look at who is at his neighbors door. He soon realizes that maybe he shouldn’t have opened the door.

I feel this one fell just a bit short for me unfortunately. The story was hard to follow at times, and I think that played into making me feel this way. I did find some redeeming creepy moments which I enjoyed. When it came to the art style, it wasn’t really for me but I do feel some of the panels actually benefited from the art style to achieve an eeriness.

I did take in to account that this is a 30 year old story (published in 1993), that has been translated into English for the first time, and I can see how that would make the art style and even the story in some aspects feel “dated”. What I find really interesting is this story is credited with introducing the idea of stalking to Japan, and I think that does add to the fear factor considering people in Japan probably never considered this an issue until reading. Although this story was not particularly for me, I feel if you find stalker stories especially scary and want a short, quick read then this would be for you!

Thank you NetGalley for sending this my way in exchange for an honest review.

love a revenge story, this graphic novel was gripping i kept turning the pages to know the ending
so i found the ghost woman kinda cool, I mean she was here to get a revenge for the living girl she used to be, and for that, slay !
*keep in mind that my opinion is entirely based on my own experience as a kid who was bullied at school.*

thank you net galley for the copy

Hauntress is a supernatural ghost story about a woman who knocks on someone’s door to no answer. Night after night the neighbor can’t stand the constant knocking on the other apartments door, so he finally confronts the mysterious (and quite scary woman) and this leads to her newfound obsession with him. What is her motive? Was she knocking on the neighbors door as a ploy to get this young man to open his?

A great manga and a classic for a reason. This was thrilling and a little scary. Loved it from beginning to the end. Will check out more from this author.

I was okay with this graphic novel but I felt it was a little lacking. Part of that could be that the original print was in the 90s and was just translated, so we’ve seen so much horror since then, but I was left wanting a little more. I felt the characters could have more background to know them a little more and the ending felt abrupt and left me wondering what really happened. That could be the point of course but the shift in the POV just threw that ending off a little.. It definitely was unsettling though and was quick read if you’re in a reading slump or wanting to get just a little creepy read in.

This book is an absolute visual and atmospheric masterpiece. The grotesque, gothic art style, combined with a touch of horror, immediately grabs the reader’s attention. Every page is filled with endless details, and the way the illustrations capture facial expressions is simply flawless.

Now, let’s talk about the monster — it is truly terrifying! The design is so unsettling that I literally thought, "Oh my god, stay away from me, woman!" (while making the sign of the cross). It’s the kind of eerie presence that sticks with you long after you close the book.

As for the story, it’s both simple and complex at the same time. Confusing? Yes. But that’s what makes it intriguing. It’s one of those narratives that demand a second (or even third) read to fully grasp its deeper meaning.

If you enjoy dark, haunting visuals and stories that make you think, this book is definitely worth picking up. Just be prepared—you might not sleep well after meeting that monster!